Feed-water heater.



J. W. PATE.

FEED WATER HEATER.

APPLICATIYDN FILED DEC. 3, 1914-.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

JAMES W. FATE, OF JACKSON, TENNESSEE.

. FEED-WATER HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application filed December 3, 1914. Serial No. 875,368.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. FATE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Madison and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed- Water Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of the invention is the provision of a device for heating water supplied to steam boilers to take the place of that consumed in the formation and utilization of steam.

The primary purpose of the inventionis to utilize steam at boiler pressure for heating the feed water and assisting materially in forcing such water into the boiler.

The invention aims to heat the feed water to a temperature approximating the temperature of the water in the boiler, thereby preventing the lowering of the temperature of the water in the boiler by the inflow of the feed water and as a result there is no perceptible diminution in the formation of steam during the period of replenishing the boiler with water, hence the fire may be uniform at all times and not require forcing during the supply of feed water to the boiler or immediately after the boiler has been supplied with water to take the place of that consumed.

The invention is primarily designed to provide a feed water heater embodying a casing, a tube passing throughthe casing and adapted to have the feed water travel therethrough, a tortuous passage formed between the casing and tube, said passage being adapted to receive steam at one end from a suitable source and to discharge the steam. at its opposite end into the tube to admit of such steam commingling with the feed water, thereby aiding largely in heating such water as well as assisting materially in causing the water to pass'through the tube. I

A further purpose of the invention is to regulate the flow or amount of steam utilized in a given time, this being effected by means of a valve arranged within the casing and controlling the opening by means of which communication is established between the casing and the tube.

A further purpose of the invention is the provision of a device of the character hereinbefore stated having a passage within the tube and extending lengthwise thereof and serving as a supplemental heating means and also to give direction to thesteam whereby the same may be discharged into the tube '1I1 a manner to materially assist in the passage of the feed water therethrough.

The invention consists of the novel and peculiar form of feed water heater hereinafter more particularly illustrated in the drawing hereto attached and subsequently claimed. 7.

Referring to the drawing: Figure l is a view 1n elevation of a feed water heater embodying the invention, the casing being arrows.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of thedrawing by the same reference characters.

The device comprises a casing 1 which is preferably of circular outline in transverse section and which may be of any diameter and length. The casing 1 is closed at oppositie ends by means of heads 2 and 3. A

tube 4 is arranged within the casing lwith 7 its opposite ends projecting through openings formed in the heads 2 and 3. The tube 4 may be of any diameter and length and is preferably arranged concentrically within the casing so as to leave a uniform space between such casing and tube. A nipple or like coupling device is provided at one end of the casing 1 and is indicated at 5 and is adapted to have a pipe 5 coupled thereto for supplying steam to the casing. The steam entering the casing 1 passes through the space formed between such casing and tube 4 and leaves the casing at the end openters the tube 4 and commingles with the feed water passing through such tube 4 from a suitable source of supply to the boiler in the manner well understood.

A helical web, flange or flight 6 is arranged in the space formed between the tube 4 and easing 1 and divides such space into a spiral or tortuous passage 7 which retards the steam in its travel through the space formed between the tube and easing, thereby insuring the utilization of a maxi- 10o posite that provided with the inlet 5 and part of the tube 4 being cast therewith.

A passage 8 is formed within the tube 4 and is disposed at that end of the casing 1 opposite the end provided with the steam inlet 5.

The passage 8 is straight and formed along one side of the tube 4 by being cored therein at the time the tube 4 is cast. The receiving end of the passage 8 projects outwardly from the tube 4, as indicated at 9, and is'tormed' with a valve seat 10 which is adapted to receive a valve 11 by means of which the opening between the outer spiral passage 7 and the inner straight passage 8 is controlled so as to regulate the discharge of the steam from the outer passage 7 into the inner passage 8. The valve 11 is adapted to be operated in any manner by means of a stem 12 which passes through an opening formed in the head 2. It is to be understood that the valve 11 may be opened, more or less, and held in the adjusted position by any wellknown means, thereby admitting of the amount of steam utilized in a given time being regulated.

To prevent any material reduction in the size of the opening through the tube 4, the

. latter is provided at the side opposite the passage 8 with an outwardly deflected por tion 13, the degree of the outward deflection of the portion 13 of the tube corresponding with the inward deflection of that part of the tube in which the passage 8 is formed. While the outline of the opening through the tube between the parts 8 and 13 will be difierent from the circular outline of the remaining portion of the tube 4, the area will be substantially the same, thereby preventing any retarding of the flow of feed water through the tube 4.

In the operation of the device the same will be located in the line of pipe generally provided for supplying feed water to a steam boiler, one end of the tube 4 having connection with the boiler and the opposite end of such tube having connection with the injector in the manner well understood. The steam inlet 5 of the casing 1 is connected with the steam dome of the boiler to admit of steam under boiler pressure entering the spiral pastherewith, such steam discharging from the passage 8 and mixing with the feed water. The live steam entering the inlet 5 travels through the spiral passage 7 to the opposite end of the casing 1 and leaves such casing by way of the valve controlled outlet 10 and enters the passage 8 and is discharged therefrom into the tube 4 and commingles with the feed water passing through such tube. The walls of the tube 4 and passage 8 are heated to a high temperature by the steam passing through the passage 7 and such steam after heating such walls is finally discharged into the tube in a jet and serves materially to assist in the travel of the water through the tube in much the same manner as an injector.

WVhile the drawing illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention nevertheless it is to be understood that in adapting Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A feed water heater comprising a casing having a steam inlet at one end, a tube passing through the casing and spaced therefromto form an intermediate steam chamber, there being an opening in the tube forming a source of communication between the interior of the steam chamber and said tube, means disposed within the chamber for directing the steam in a spiral path around the tube,and a valve operating in such opening for controlling the passage of steam from the chamber to the interior of the tube.

2. A feed water heater comprising a casing having oppositely disposed heads, one of which is removable and provided with a steam inlet arranged near one of the heads, a tube passing through the casing and spaced therefrom to form an intermediate steam chamber, there being an opening formed in the tube near the removable head and forming a source of communication be tween said steam chamberrand the interior of the tube, means disposed within the chamber for directing the steam in a spiral path around the tube to the opening, and a valve seated in the opening and having a stem 8X- tending through the removable head of the casing, said valve serving to control the passage of steam from the chamber to the interior of the tube.

3. A feed water heater comprising a casing, a tube vpassing through the casing and spaced therefrom to form an intermediate steam chamber, one end of the tube being offset and provided with an opening forming a source of communication between the steam chamber and the interior of the tube, a steam inlet arranged at one end of the casing and disposed at substantially right angles to the tube, means disposed within the chamber for directing the steam from the inlet in a spiral path around the tube to said opening, and a valve operating in the opening for controlling the flow of steam frgm the chamber to the interior of said tu e.

4. A feed Water heater comprising a casing having a steam inlet at one end, a tube extending through the casing and spaced therefrom to form an intermediate steam chamber, a continuous spiral flange arranged Within the steam chamber, said tube being provided With a passage opening through the flange at the opposite end of the casing from the steam inlet, and a valve operating in the intake of said passage for controlling the flow of steam from the chamber to the interior of the tube, the steam inlet and opening in the flange being disposed at substantially right angles to each other.-

5. A feed Water heater comprising a casing having a steam inlet at one end thereof, a tube extending through the casing and spaced therefrom to form an intermediate steam chamber and having a passage at one side opening at one end into the casing opposite the steam inlet thereof and at its opposite end into the tube, said tube having a deflected portion opposite the passage, means disposed Within the chamber for directing the steam in a spiral path around the tube to said passage, and a valve for controlling the floW of steam from the chamber through the passage into the tube.

6. A feed Water heater comprising a casing having a steam inlet at one end, a tube extending through the casing and spaced therefrom to form an intermediate steam chamber, said tube having a portion thereof offset and provided With an opening forming a source of communication between the steam chamber and the interior of the tube,

a passage arranged Within the tube and having one end thereof communicating With the opening and its other end terminating short of the steam inlet end of the casing, said tube having an outwardly deflected portion opposite the offset portion to prevent constriction of the opening through the tube, a spiral flange arranged Within the steam chamber for directing the steam in a spiral path around the tube to the opening therein, and a valve operating in the opening in the tube and serving to control the flow of steam from the chamber to the interior of the tube.

7. A feed Water heater comprising a casing having oppositely disposed heads, a steam inlet communicating With one end of the casing, a tube extending through both heads of the casing and spaced from the inner Wall thereof to form an intermediate steam chamber, the inner Wall of the tube opposite the steam inlet being provided With a steam passage, one end of Which communicates with the steam chamber, the other end of said passage terminating short of the adjacent end of the tube, a continuous spiral flange arranged in the steam chamber and forming a tortuous passage for the steam therein, and a valve operating Within the passage at the outer end thereof and provided With a stem extending through the adjacent head for controlling the floW of steam from the chamber through the passage to the interior of the tube.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JAMES W. PATE. [1,. 8.]

Witnesses:

JAMES OUTLAU, EvANs T. PURDY.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

